Diaphragm cover for oxygen regulators



l June 3, 1947. J p JQHNSON 2,421,700

DIAPHRAGM COVER FOR OXYGEN REGULATORS Filed Nov. 23, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

Patented June 3, 194'7 uNrr En y isrArEs 4:zacinto I `REGULA'rio'its llames P. Johnson, Cleveland, ihio,f-ass'ignor"to lhe Aro Equipment Corporationryanfhio, :'acorporation iof' Ohio Application November 23, 1944,' Serialllbf564,866

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to a cover for the diaphragm of an oxygen regulator having certain characteristics for protecting the diaphragm against injury.

One object of the invention is to provide protection against sun, rain and foreign objects entering the perforations of the diaphragm cover which would cause rotting, puncturing or other damage to the diaphragm.

Another object is to provide a cover in the form of primary and secondary cover members, the secondary cover member being supported by the primary cover member and spaced therefrom to prevent interference with the entrance of air to the diaphragm through perforations in the primary cover member.

Still another object is to provide the secondary member of such design, size and positional relation to the perforations of the primary cover member that sun and foreign objects cannot enter through the perforations.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a demand oxygen regulator to which my diaphragm cover is secured;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the cover per se with a portion of the secondary cover member broken away; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the cover and the diaphragm as well as a portion of the regulator housing, as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeral I0 to indicate an oxygen regulator housing having the usual oxygen inlet at I2 and mixed oxygen and air outlet at I4. Within the housing I0 there is a demand diaphragm IB which is operated by inhalation to regulate the supply of air and oxygen to the user. The mechanism of the regulator is not gone into in detail in this application but is of the general type shown in the copending application of Arthur H, Tidd et al., Serial No. 596,006, filed December 20, 1944, and in my copending applications, Serial No. 579,061, filed February 21, 1945, and `Serial No. 579,062, lled February 2l, 1945.

A primary cover member I8 is provided for the diaphragm I6 and it is secured to the housing I0 as by screws 20 through holes 22 in the cover member. The cover member I8 is provided with three openings 24 and a central opening 26 for admitting atmospheric air to the diaphragm I6. Several other minute openings 218 are also provided for admitting air to the diaphragm in the event that the central portion seals 01T the openings 24 and '26 by contact therewith. The entrance of this air is necessary, as ambient air pressure is desired on the outside of the diaphragm as opposed to the inner surface being subjected to the pressure of air in the lungs of the aviator.

The primary cover I8 is provided with three bosses 30 to which a secondary cover 32 is secured, as by drive screws .34. The secondary cover .32 has an inturned ilange 35 at its periphery. This flange overhangs the openings l2li and is spaced slightly from the primary cover I8 to permit free entrance and exit of air to and from these openings.

The overhanging relation of the periphery vof the cover 32 to the openings 24 prevents the direct rays of sun from passing through the openings and impinging the diaphragm I6. This is particularly important where the gas mask is used by a gunner in a gun blister on an airplane. The curvature of the blister tends to intensify the rays of the sun, and sun rays, of course, are detrimental to a diaphragm made of rubber or a similar composition.

The cover 32 also prevents the entrance of foreign objects through the openings 24' which might mechanically damage the diaphragm, and is a substantial aid in preventing the entrance of rain to the diaphragm, which is detrimental to its operation.

It will be obvious that I have provided a simple cover assembly which permits free flow of air to and from the diaphragm and yet prevents chemical and mechanical injury to the diaphragm from the result of sun rays or foreign objects which might otherwise pass through the atmosphere-admitting perforations of the main cover. The cover assembly may be modified to some extent without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a diaphragm cover of the character disclosed, a primary cover plate secured to the housing of an oxygen regulator over the diaphragm thereof, a plurality of bosses extending outwardly 3 from said primary cover plate, and a secondary cover plate secured to said bosses and having a peripheral inturned flange terminating in closely spaced relation from said primary cover plate, said primary cover plate having air entrance openings within the outline of said secondary cover plate and spaced inwardly from said ange.

2. In a diaphragm cover for oxygen regulators, a primary cover plate adapted to be secured to the housing of the regulator over the diaphragm thereof, a secondary cover plate connected to said primary cover plate, the connections including spacer elements to hold the two cover plates spaced apart for air entrance between them, said primary cover plate having air entrance openings within the outline of said secondary cover plate and communicating with the space between said plates and said secondary cover plate having a peripheral inturned ange 4 terminating in closely spaced relation from said primary cover plate.

JAMES P. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,0 Number Name Date 1,920,261 Lavender Aug. 1, 1933 2,318,827 Yant May 11, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number Country Date 208,855 Switzerland 1940 637,255 France 1928 65,222 Austria 1914 

